The schools up for renewal this week served a total of roughly 3,900 students last year and show varying levels of increased, decreased, or stagnant test results in the years immediately preceding and following the pandemic.
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Thrival began as a one-year program within Indianapolis Public Schools in 2017, but expanded to a four-year high school in 2020.
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The court filing by IPS is the latest move in a long-running dispute between the district and the charter sector over facilities and resources, as charter enrollment grows and IPS enacts academic and other changes to attract students.
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The most glaring contrast between the Senate and House proposals is the way in which they intend to expand funding to charter schools.
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Most funding increases for Indiana charter schools won’t take place until 2028, when state law mandates that districts must begin sharing property taxes used for operating expenses.
The question of whether charter schools perform better academically than traditional IPS schools is a key focus of debates about funding and educational success.
Under the bill that advanced Wednesday, the group will develop a plan for the collaborative use of transportation and facilities between IPS and charter schools within IPS boundaries.
Brian Metcalf, who led the charter network from July 2019 through December 2022, pleaded guilty to two of the nine counts of wire fraud outlined in an indictment filed in 2023.
Indiana lawmakers are advancing a bill to force the district to share property tax revenue with charter schools. While charter advocates support the change, IPS worries about creating an unsustainable system.
Leaders of the Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy face both federal and state cases in which they’re accused of defrauding the state of millions of dollars.
House Bill 1136, the most extreme bill facing the district, would dissolve IPS and its elected school board and replace it with charter schools overseen by an appointed board.
A Republican-backed bill that could dissolve five Indiana school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, sparked backlash from advocates and district leaders who argue the legislation unfairly targets high-poverty and urban districts that primarily educate children of color.
Indiana Charter Innovation Center President and CEO Scott Bess wants traditional public school districts to share property tax proportionally.
The 6-0 approval extends the district’s relationship with the schools—most of which are charters—until June 2030.
The race for four seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board could significantly reshape the board’s makeup, with more candidates who are critical of charter schools.
Peterson, 66, will be succeeded by David Harris, who worked in the Peterson administration and currently is the executive vice president of Christel House International.
In some cases, charters are an option only for those families who can afford to drive or live close enough to walk to school.
The announcement on Thursday builds off of the groundbreaking program IU Indianapolis and IPS announced in September that grants automatic admission to seniors with a grade point average of at least 3.0.
The charter authorizer also approved the expansion of GEO Next Generation Academy, which is on the same property as Indy STEAM.
The split between Andrew J. Brown Academy and National Heritage Academies involves facilities, finances, and more. One is looking for a new home and has a new operator. The other wants to start a new school.
The change is the result of years of lobbying by charter school supporters, who say that all public school students should benefit from local property taxes that help pay for buildings.
The approval is another lifeline for the charter school, which was initially named Ignite Achievement Academy and tasked by Indianapolis Public Schools to improve an underperforming school near the city’s Riverside neighborhood.
The move by the Genius School comes after the charter authorizer overseeing it put it on probation and another authorizer rejected its bid for a new charter.
Girls IN STEM Academy is planned as a K-8 charter school with a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The school is founded in partnership between Paramount Schools of Excellence, Purdue Polytechnic High Schools and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.
